British Empire
The sun never sets on the British Empire! From Australia to Canada, by way of India and Africa, the British Empire spans a quarter of the globe. Although its only remaining holding in North America is the Protectorate of Ontario, the Empire is still strong in the rest of the world. British naval forces guard the seas, protecting shipping and securing the King's interests. While the Royal Navy of His Majesty are unparalleled in the world, the same sadly cannot be said of the Royal Air Force, which is sadly lacking in combat-effective interceptor fighters. While Britain and her allies were victorious in the Great War, it was not without considerable cost. Thousands of young men came back physically or mentally traumatized, or both, or didn't come back at all. Enormous amounts of money were spent during the fighting, leaving the government with considerable debt. The Great Depression took away much of the prosperity Britain did enjoy after the victory, leaving some to doubt whether the British Empire, mighty though it still is, really does have the will and the strength needed to deal with a resurgent Germany if war should come again. Militia The British Armed Forces is one of the oldest in the world as of the 1930s, with a history going back more than three hundred years. It consists of: * Royal Navy- Naval warfare * British Army- Land warfare * Royal Marines- Amphibious warfare * Royal Air Force- Air warfare The Corps of Royal Marines, though a distinct branch of the British military, is not a fully independent service as are the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force. Instead, it is considered a section of the Royal Navy. International Relations The British Empire's main area of focus is the increasing menace of Nazi Germany and the effect that it is having on Europe. With the collapse of the United States in 1931, the British Empire and the USSR are the two most powerful nations in the world. Britain has one of the largest corps of diplomats in the world, maintaining consulates and embassies on most every continent except Antarctica. * Germany- A rearming, economically resurgent Germany, led by the Nazi Party and its charismatic leader Adolf Hitler, have strained Anglo-German relations since Hitler took office in 1934. Germany's rising strength threatens the British Empire's status as one of two dominant powers left in the world, and at Hitler's direction Germany has ceased making the war reparations payments demanded by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. * Kingdom of Hawaii - Despite repeated efforts, the British Empire has failed to annex the Kingdom, a series of defeats that have caused the Empire no small embarrassment. The Empire and the Kingdom recently signed a treaty, whereby the Empire officially recognises the Kingdom in exchange for the 99-year lease of a small naval base at a lagoon harbor called Pu'uloa, which is on the island of O'ahu. * North America- The Empire maintains cordial relations with most of its ex-colonies in what used to be Canada, with the exception of Quebec. It is also noticeably friendly with the Confederation of Dixie and the Maritime Provinces, and is believed to be conducting negotiations with the Atlantic Coalition for most-favored-nation trading status, opening up again the lucrative trans-Atlantic trade. * Protectorate of Ontario- Not an actual independent state, Ontario voluntarily remained part of the British Empire as Canada fell apart around it. The Protectorate represents what remains of the former British possession and, although self-governing, maintains close ties to the British Empire. * Union of Soviet Socialist Republics- The British Empire, led as it is by a constitutional monarchy and with a lengthy history with the Christian religion, cordially dislikes the Soviet Union, which overthrew and executed its last monarch and replaced it with an atheistic communist state. Apart from the fact that neither wants their own power threatened by a resurgent Germany, the two nations have little in common. Category:Countries